Spring bed bottom



June 26,1934. .L, MOECKEL 1,964,296 I S P R I N G BED BOTTOM PatentedJune 26, 1934 SPRING BED BO'ITOM Louis C. Moeckel,

New York, N. Y., assignor to Greenpoint Metallic Bed 00., Inc.,Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 1, 1932,Serial No. 645,172

" 3 Claims. (c1. 5-269) This fiivention relates to spring bed bottoms ora. bed spring or the like, and aims to improve the construction of theupperportion thereof upon which a mattress is to be placed, so as to 5provide a surface which supports the mattress properly without danger ofinjury thereto, while at the same time to render the upper portioncomfortable to the occupant lying upon the mattress.

A specific object of the present invention is to construct and arrangethe parts of the upper portion of the bed bottom so that, if there aretwo occupants, the resiliently constructed upper portion is not apt tobe caused to bulge, hump up or buckle in such a manner between .theoccupants as to tend to cause one'of them to be rolled or forced overagainst the other one, so as to render their sleeping {positionsuncomfortable.

Incidentally to the object of providing a comfortable spring bed bottom,the construction composed of relatively fewer and simpler parts thanheretofore, so that such a spring bed bottom can be manufactured witheconomy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strip of thin andflexible metal for use in bed bottoms or the like, upon which stripplates of suitable material are rigidly secured, such plates beingspaced apart along the strip and extending 30 transversely thereof so asto project a substantial distance beyond the opposite edges of thestrip.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists of certain features of construction and combinations of partsto be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to theaccompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of theinvention and wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved springbed bottom, parts being omitted in two. directions so that this figuremay be on a larger scale;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the bedbottom, so designed as to illustrate the general action in the bed; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view to illustrate an anchorage platewelded to a carrying strip.

In the drawing the bottom frame of the usual spring bed bottomsisomitted, as it is unnecessary to illustrate it in order to describethepresent improvements. The upper frame 5 ofthe spring bed bottom ispreferably composed of angle metal as illustrated in Fig. 2. Spiralcoil.

springs 6 are supported in a well known manner from the bottomframe (notillustrated), and the upper coils 7 thereof plane of the frame 5.

A suitable number of preferably sheet metal strips 8, preferably of thinspring steel, is employed, which are flat from end to and extend 00parallel with each other lengthwise of the frame 5, and these stripshave the desired flexibility so as not to be too stiff and unyielding;that is, they are self-sustaining. This means that whatever may be thematerial which the strips are as made of, such materialis somewhat stiffas distinguished from leather, cord or the like which is notself-sustaining, as these when thin will sag of their own weight and notmaintain their shape, and besides they have no resiliency and cannot behandled like a strip with suitable stiffness. The strips are preferablyspaced substantially equi-distant from each other and the ends'thereofare attached by means of spring helicals 9 to the end bars 10 of frame5. Thus the strips are held under tension longitudinally of the frame;

Metallic anchorage plates 11 in suitable numher and flat, may be welded,riveted or other-- wise permanently and preferably directly securedalong the length of a straight and flat surface of each of the metalstrips 8, the plates of each series along each strip being preferablyequi-distant ly spaced apart so as to be disposed in staggered relationwith respect to the supporting springs 6. Each of these anchorage plates11 preferably approximates a diamond shape with incurved edges. Thelonger dimension of each plate extends transversely of the strip onwhich it is mounted, so that theseries of anchorage plates extendssomewhat between the adjacent upper coils '7 of the rows of support--ing springs.

It will be seen that each strip 8 is relatively much narrower than thedimensions of the plates. These plates extend transversely of the stripand preferably project for a considerable distance beyond the edges ofthe strip. Such construction is desirable because of the narrowness ofthe flexible resilient strips, as thereby ample supporting surfaces areprovided by the plates on the strips, so that there is a maximum amountof supporting surface in contrast with the relatively narrow strips, andthe narrow line which would more or less be inherent in each strip if itcarried no plates 11 is relieved, and a person lying or resting on abottom provided with such strips and plates is far more comfortable. I

Spring helicals 13 of suitable number and of sumciently small sizeextend transversely of the 110 are located normally in the sary toemploy longer frame 5 and the strips 8 and connect the anchorage plates11 directly with each other and with the side bars 14 of the frame.Additional spring helicals 15 connect the anchorage plates 11 directlywith the upper coils '7 of the supporting springs. These extenddiagonally with reference to the frame 5 and there is one of them foreach of the supporting springs and adjacent anchorage plate 11, therebyconnecting them in pairs. In other words, there is a pair of convergingspring helicals 15 at either side of each spring helical 13, so thatthere are six spring helicals secured to each anchorage plate. Of coursethe number may be varied. By reason of the preferred construction ofstrips 8 and plates 11 providing a maximum supporting surface, theamount of spring connections afforded by the helicals is brought to aminimum; that is to say the lengths of the helicals may be shorter thanis customary, so that it is not neceshelicals, for obtaining the fullbenefit of the improvements.

It should be stated that the upper coils '7 of the supporting springswhich are located directly adjoining the frame 5, are permanently andrigidly attached at 16 to such frame.

It will be seen that a bed bottom or the like constructed as shown anddescribed will have an upper mattress or the like supporting portionwhich forms an ample support and at the same time possesses considerableflexibility and resiliency when in use. A bed equipped with such aspring bottom will permit certain of the strips 8 which are directlyunder an occupant of the'bed to be depressed from the position indicatedin broken lines in Fig. 2, without causing adjacent strips to buckle orhump up, with a tendency to cause another occupant of the bed to roll ormove away from their sleeping position on the bed, inasmuch as suchother occupant will depress the strips directly underneath in a similarway. Hence each occupant of a bed can occupy the same without suchobjectionable tendency, while at the same time the occupant will becomfortably supported by the thoroughly resilient spring constructionthroughout the bed bottom. Th s is partially achieved from the fact thateach strip 8 with its rigidly attached anchorage plates may moveindependently or tilt sidewise of any other strip, because it ispreferably solely connected with the next strip and with the coils bythe resilient helicals which practically surround each anchorage plate.

As the improved construction of bed bottom presents a minimum number ofparts for achieving the desired advantages, the same can be manufacturedand sold for a reasonable price. Each of the metallic strips 6 isself-sustaining as it 'were, that is to say it is entirely andindependently resiliently supported, as by means of 'the little springhelicals. Furthermore, the anchorage plates on each strip 8 will move ortilt bodily as a whole with the strip, and not be affected by anadjacent strip.

The invention is also applicable to a narrow bed spring to be used byone person, as obviously some of the advantages of the improvedconstruction would still be achieved. If desired, the transversehelicals directly connecting the strips 8 may be omitted.

Obviously the invention shown and described the surfaces across issusceptible of more or less further modification without departing fromthe invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is- 1. A spring bed bottom or the like, including incombination a frame, supporting springs for the frame arranged in rowslongitudinally of the frame, strips of self-sustaining sheet materialextending in spaced parallel relation between the successive rowssubstantially continuously from end to end of the frame, and the ends ofthe strips yieldingly secured to the ends of the frame, anchorage platesspaced along each strip and rigidly secured directly thereto, springhelicals connecting the plates in succession transversely wltheach otherand with the sides of the frame, such helicals forming resilientconnections transversely, and additional spring helicals connecting eachplate with the supporting springs in succession at opposite sidesthereof, whereby successive strips are bodily tiltable edgewise and aredownwardly relatively movable one to the other without affecting otherstrips.

2. A spring bed bottom or the like, including in combination a frame,supporting springs for the frame arranged in rows longitudinally of theframe, strips of self-sustaining sheet material extending in spacedparallel relation between the successive rows substantially continuouslyfrom end to end of the frame, and the ends of the strips yieldinglysecured to the ends of the frame, anchorage plates spaced along eachstrip and rigidly secured thereto, the ends of the plates of each stripprojecting laterally of the strip, such projecting ends havingperforations which are located beyond the side edges of each strip,spring helicals engaged with some of the perforations and connecting theplates in succession transversely with each other and with the sides ofthe frame, such helicals forming resilient connections transversely, andadditional spring helcals engaged with other of the perforations andconnecting each plate with the supporting springs in succession atopposite sides thereof and extending diagonally of the frame, wherebysuccessive strips are bodily tiltable edgewise and are downwardlyrelatively movable one to the other without affecting other strips.

3. A spring bed bottom or the l ke, including in combination a frame,supporting springs for the frame arranged in rows longitudinally of theframe, strips of self-sustaining sheet material extending in spacedparallel relation between the successive rows, substantiallycontinuously from one end to the other of the frame. and spring helicalssecured to the ends of the strips and the ends of the frame, whereby thestrips are yieldingly secured to the frame to permit each strip to tiltbodily edgewise, anchorage plates spaced apart along each strip, anddirectly secured rigidly and permanently to one of the width ofthestrlp, the anchorage plates on each strip having portions projectingbeyond the edges of the str'ps and terminating between the adjacentsupporting springs, and spring helicals connecting the projectingportions of the plates with the supporting springs, each of the stripsbeing somewhat independent of the other strips for relative movements.

LOUIS C. MOECKEL.

